The desert air seemed to vibrate with tension as both sides faced one another.
Adam, Zoey, and the armored hunter stood together with their weapons drawn, while the seven plunderers slowly spread out around them. Smiles could be seen on several of their faces, the kind that appeared when people believed victory was already theirs.
Unfortunately, they had good reason to be confident.
The odds were terrible.
Not only were Adam’s group outnumbered seven to three, but they were also hopelessly behind in experience. Adam and Zoey had only awakened a few days ago. Though their growth had been fast, they were still rookie hunters who had barely experienced real combat.
The plunderers, on the other hand, were veterans.
They had higher levels, more combat experience, and had likely fought countless battles before today. The armored hunter was undoubtedly strong, but even he could only do so much against seven opponents.
No matter how anyone looked at it, their chances of winning were slim.
Even so, none of them backed down.
Adam tightened his grip on his hammer.
Zoey drew an arrow from her quiver.
The armored hunter adjusted his shield and planted his feet firmly into the sand.
If they were going to die here, they would at least make their enemies work for it.
The plunderer leader looked at their determined expressions and sneered.
"You should’ve accepted my offer earlier," he said, his eyes lingering on Zoey. "Now it’s too late."
With a simple nod, he gave the signal.
The plunderers surged forward.
The battle began instantly.
Adam was the first to move. Letting out a roar, he rushed forward and swung his hammer toward the nearest attacker. The weapon cut through the air with tremendous force, carrying enough power to crush bone if it connected.
Unfortunately, the plunderer easily dodged.
The man slipped to the side and retaliated immediately, his sword flashing toward Adam’s ribs. Adam tried to evade, but the difference in speed was obvious. The blade sliced into his side, drawing a painful grunt from his throat.
Pain spread through his body, but Adam refused to retreat.
Using the momentum of his movement, he spun and brought the hammer around once more. This strike was even stronger than the first, aimed directly at the man’s chest.
Just before the hammer could connect, another plunderer stepped in.
A sword collided with the hammer’s handle and knocked the attack off course.
The impact traveled through Adam’s arms and nearly forced him to lose his grip. For a moment, he could clearly feel the difference between them.
These people were stronger.
Much stronger.
Still, Adam wasn’t willing to give up that easily.
Fueled by adrenaline, he suddenly lashed out with a kick that caught the first plunderer square in the chest. The man stumbled backward several steps, nearly losing his balance.
A grin immediately spread across Adam’s face.
"Take that, asshole!"
The plunderer’s expression darkened.
Being pushed back by a newly awakened hunter was embarrassing enough. Doing so in front of his companions only made it worse.
Several nearby plunderers snickered.
The man’s face turned red with anger.
"You little brat!"
Meanwhile, Zoey had already drawn her bow.
Her heart was racing, but her hands remained surprisingly steady.
She drew the string back and released.
The arrow shot through the air toward the plunderer charging Adam.
The man noticed it too late.
The projectile struck his thigh and buried itself deep into the flesh.
A pained grunt escaped his lips.
The injury wasn’t serious. His armor and physical defense absorbed most of the damage, but that didn’t stop the humiliation.
First, he had been kicked back by a rookie.
Now he had been shot by another one.
His anger immediately shifted toward Zoey.
"Stay away from him!" Zoey shouted.
The plunderer’s eyes locked onto her.
Without hesitation, he abandoned Adam and charged directly toward her instead.
Zoey quickly reached for another arrow, but before she could release it, a massive figure suddenly appeared between them.
The armored hunter.
His shield slammed forward with explosive force.
A loud bang echoed across the battlefield as the plunderer was sent flying backward, tumbling across the sand before finally coming to a stop.
The armored hunter grinned.
"Eat dirt, bastard."
There was no time to celebrate though.
Another attacker was already rushing toward him.
The battlefield quickly descended into chaos.
Weapons clashed. Sand exploded into the air. Shouts and curses echoed in every direction.
Amidst the chaos, one of the plunderers slipped around Adam’s side and attacked from a blind spot.
Adam barely reacted in time.
He raised his hammer to block, but the sword still managed to carve a deep cut across his shoulder.
Pain exploded through his arm.
Blood immediately began soaking into his clothing.
Adam stumbled backward, his face twisting from the pain.
At the same moment, something awakened inside him.
A familiar surge of energy spread through his body.
Blood Rage.
The passive class perk activated automatically.
His heartbeat accelerated as heat flooded his muscles.
The pain remained, but it suddenly felt distant compared to the overwhelming strength now coursing through him.
Without hesitation, he raised his hammer and slammed it into the ground.
The impact sent a shockwave through the sand.
Several nearby plunderers lost their footing and staggered backward in surprise.
"Zoey!" Adam shouted.
"Cover me!"
"On it!"
Zoey immediately responded.
Another arrow flew from her bow and struck one of the recovering plunderers in the shoulder, forcing him to retreat.
Unfortunately, there were simply too many enemies.
Another attacker lunged toward the armored hunter with a spear aimed directly at his chest. The man raised his shield just in time.
Metal crashed against metal.
The force pushed him backward several steps, carving deep grooves through the sand.
Gritting his teeth, he retaliated with his battle axe, forcing the spearman to retreat, but his expression remained grim.
Things weren’t looking good.
Adam was already bleeding from multiple injuries.
Zoey was rapidly running through her arrows.
Even the armored hunter was beginning to accumulate wounds.
The plunderers weren’t overwhelming them because they were individually stronger.
They were overwhelming them because there were simply too many of them.
Just then, a familiar voice cut through the chaos.
The plunderer leader.
Unlike his subordinates, he had yet to join the battle.
Until now.
"I always did like girls with spirit."
His gaze settled on Zoey.
A cruel smile slowly spread across his face.
"Let’s see how brave you are without your little boyfriend protecting you."
Before Zoey could react, the man moved.
His speed was far beyond that of the other plunderers.
One moment he was standing several meters away.
The next, he was right in front of her.
His sword flashed.
Zoey’s instincts screamed.
She threw herself to the side just in time.
The blade missed her neck by mere inches and instead sliced across her arm.
A sharp pain followed immediately.
Blood dripped onto the scorching sand below.
The leader simply laughed.
Zoey retreated several steps, her breathing becoming uneven.
The difference between them was obvious.
This man was stronger than every other plunderer present.
Even so, she refused to panic.
Slowly, she nocked another arrow and focused her gaze entirely on him.
The world around her seemed to fade.
Under the effects of Eagle Eyes, details that would’ve normally gone unnoticed became crystal clear.
The leader was fast.
Very fast.
But speed alone wasn’t enough.
Not if she could predict where he was about to move.
Taking a slow breath, she readied another shot, focusing on his movements and drawing on her Eagle Eyes ability to line up the next shot.